Beef Bourguignon

Prep Time:

40 minutes, plus overnight

Cook Time:

2 hours 15 minutes

Serves:

6

This is French country cooking at its finest: a real autumn or winter dish, served with mash and glazed carrots or greens. Whichever good-quality wine you use to marinate the beef overnight, serve the same wine with the dish the next day. I make this with beef shin; alternatively, use chuck steak and allow an extra 45 minutes’ cooking time.

Ingredients

for Marinade

1kg shin of beef cut into 6cm x 1cm thick pieces
1 banana shallot peeled & sliced
2 garlic cloves peeled & crushed
2 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves torn
2 parsley stalks crushed
8 peppercorns crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
½ bottle of Rhône wine

For Bourguignon

1 tbsp beef dripping, duck fat, or vegetable oil
250g button mushrooms, stalks removed, wiped over a damp cloth, cut in half
125g salt pork or pancetta cut into 2cm long matchsticks
2 cloves garlic peeled & crushed
750ml good beef/veal stock
The reserved strained marinade
Bouquet garni
Sea salt & black pepper
1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water
2 tbsp chopped parsley

Method

1 Marinate the beef in a covered, non-reactive dish in the fridge overnight.
2 In a heavy bottomed pan, melt the duck fat on a low heat, cook until it renders its fat and goes crispy.
3 Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve.
4 Add the shallots and brown.
5 Add the mushrooms and cook until soft and nicely coloured, add to the bacon.
6 Turn the heat up to medium and add the beef, dried on a clean cloth.
7 Season the beef with salt and pepper.
8 Brown the beef with the garlic cloves and remove from the pan.
9 Add the marinade, beef stock, and bouquet garni.
10 Bring to a simmer, remove any impurities, and cover with a lid.
11 Cook for 2 hours, then check if tender.
12 Stir in the cornflour.
13 Skim off fat, add the mushrooms, shallots and bacon, then stir well.
14 Place in a warmed serving dish and sprinkle with chopped parsley.